Nikki Randhawa Haley elected first female governor in South Carolina

NRI Nikki Randhawa Haley, daughter of Sikh immigrant parents from Amritsar will become the nation's second Indian-American governor when she replaces Sanford, whose term-limited tenure ends in January. Louisiana's Bobby Jindal also is Indian-American.

She won with about 52 percent of the vote over state Sen. Vincent Sheheen.

Washington, July 17, 2010: Nikki Haley on Newsweek cover :With the rise of 'desi power', as people of Indian origin call themselves, a record number of Indian Americans are running for public office this year...
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Washington, June 17, 2010: Republicans split over backing Nikki Haley :While national Republicans are busy advancing Indian American lawmaker Nikki Haley's bid for governor of South Carolina, much of the state party establishment seems to be working furiously to torpedo her chances in the June 22 runoff..

Washington, June 9, 2010: Nikki Haley forced into runoff in South Carolina primary :Overcoming accusations of marital infidelity, Indian American lawmaker Nikki Haley just missed the 50-percent threshold in a four-way primary race for the Republican nomination for South Carolina governor's job.

Washington, June 9, 2010: Nikki Haley forced into runoff in South Carolina primary :Overcoming accusations of marital infidelity, Indian American lawmaker Nikki Haley just missed the 50-percent threshold in a four-way primary race for the Republican nomination for South Carolina governor's job.

New York, June 6, 2010: Indian-American Haley is racially attacked :Indian-American Nikki Haley, who is contesting governorship in South Carolina, was attacked racially by a state lawmaker who called her a "raghead", media reports said

Washington, May 26, 2010: Indian American Nikki Haley bounces back in governor's race:Hit hard by a prominent Republican blogger's
allegation that he had an "inappropriate physical relationship" with Nikki (Randhawa) Haley, the Indian American
Republican candidate in South Carolina governor's race has bounced back into the campaign.

Biography:NRI businesswoman
Nikki Randhawa Haley, Republican candidate for
the South Carolina District 87 House Seat-Nikki
Randhawa Haley, born in Bamberg, attended South
Carolina Schools and is continuing to help build
her family business here in Lexington County.She
demonstrates great dedication to local community
organizations and charities, business relationships,
education, and family. When she was five years
old, Indian American Nikki Randhawa-Haley declared
she wanted to be mayor of Bamberg, the city
in South Carolina she was born in .....more

Washington
June 10, 2004: Nikki
Randhawa, NRI, Sikh Busimess woman won the run-off
election to the South Carolina State Assembly.

Nikki Randhawa Haley, 32-year-old
Sikh woman has won the run-off election to the
South Carolina State Assembly, 87th District defeating
Larry Koon, American member of 30 years. Nikki
Randhawa Haley will be the first Sikh and fifth
Indian American to enter a US state legislature.
Nikki Randhawa got 54.69 per cent votes (2,928
votes), while Koon got 45.31 per cent (2426 votes)

Haley ran for the election after
Koon said he would not contest again. But later
he changed his mind and returned to the fray.
He said that the state''s budget problem was the
reason for his change of heart. In the election
held on June 8 Koon got 2,354 votes (42.27 per
cent) while Haley got 2,247 votes (40.35 per cent).
A third candidate, David Perry, an insurance broker,
got 968 votes, (17.38 per cent). Since nobody
got more than 50 per cent, a runoff was necessitated.
There is no Democratic candidate and Haley automatically
becomes the assemblywoman. After the election
in June 8, Haley said she was sure of victory
at the runoff in June 22. As a Sikh, there were
questions about her faith. "But everybody
knows us. She is born and brought up here only.
Her husband is an American. Their two children
go to the church as well as the temple. We explained
these to the sceptics," Ajit Randhawa, her
father said. Haley promises to be a spokesperson
for the Indian Americans, women, and the business
community. The 87th district is a very southern
district in the southern state of South Carolina.
People are mostly conservative and 98 per cent
of the voters are Republican. She said she is
Republican because it supports business and stands
for many of the ideals she cherishes. She is pro-life
also. "Does it matter for the Indian community
whether the candidate is Republican or Democrat?
What we need is people in political office. Party
affiliation is irrelevant for us at this time,"
she said earlier. The district has 22,000 voters
and the number of Indians is very few.